Pitting together the USA, Korea Republic and Brazil, all champions of their respective continents, as well as European surprise packages Poland, Group D was expected to be one of the most closely contested and exciting in the competition. And it certainly lived up to its billing. Right up until the final matchday, all four teams were in with a chance of making it into the knockout stages. And along the way they treated fans in Montreal and Ottawa to a feast of football, serving up 20 goals and a series of matches full of excitement and suspense...
How it finished
1. United States, 7 points
2. Poland, 4 points
3. Brazil, 3 points
4. Korea Republic, 2 points
What's next
USA vs. Uruguay, 11 July, Toronto
Spain vs. Brazil, 11 July, Burnaby
Argentina vs. Poland, 12 July, Toronto
What happened
•USA: After being severely tested by Korea Republic in a
1-1 draw, the Americans went on to decimate a Polish defence that
had been so magnificent against Brazil, inflicting on the Europeans
a crushing 6-1 reverse. That game will be best remembered as the
moment Freddy Adu finally lived up to the immense expectations that
have weighed him down for years. The Ghanaian-born attacker was not
the only one to catch the eye, with midfield duo of Danny Szetela
and Sal Zizzo also putting in memorable performances. The rest had
better watch out - the Stars and Stripes are looking sharp...
•Poland: This surprise package showed great resilience to bounce back from their mauling at the hands of the USA in their second match. Prior to that, the Europeans had pulled off one of the results of the group stages by beating Brazil 1-0, despite having to play much of the game with just 10 men. They rediscovered their defensive solidity against the Korea Republic, thwarting the relentless attacks of the Asian champions to secure second spot in the group. Forward Dawid Janczyk stood out on what is a well-oiled collective, and a special mention must also go to goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski, who was exceptional against the South Koreans.
•Brazil: The biggest disappointment of the group stages,
the
Auriverdes are into the last sixteen but only through the
back door. Ineffective in attack in their first game, they were
better against the South Koreans, but still had to survive a major
scare in the last five minutes, while they were outplayed by the
United States in their final game. Clearly, Nelson Rodrigues'
team are not at their best. Nonetheless, in Alexandre Pato they
have an exceptional talent, while Marcelo has looked strong in
defence, as has Ji Parana in the middle.
•Korea Republic: Despite playing, arguably, the most
attractive football of the group stages, the South Koreans must be
wondering how they will not be gracing the Round of 16. As ever,
the Red Devils' main problem was their chronic inability to
convert their chances. Tactically flawless and capable of
maintaining a high tempo for 90 minutes, the Asian champions also
boast a number of very talented individuals, not least their
playmaker Shim Young Sung, forward Shin Young Rok, and midfielder
Lee Sang Ho.
Moments to savour
• Freddy Adu's first goal
of three against Poland. A surging run down the right was followed
by a clever feint before Adu executed a 360-degree turn and curled
a shot into the far corner of the net.
• Amaral's delightful goal
celebration, following his strike against Korea Republic. The
Brazilian winger stuffed the ball inside his shirt to improvise a
touching tribute to his girlfriend, who is several months pregnant.
• The double nutmeg from South
Korean star Shim Young Sung that left a poor Polish defender
completely bamboozled. His opponent must still be wondering what
happened.
• The incredible atmosphere
and noise inside Montreal's closed stadium when the Korea
Republic pulled the score back to 3-2 against Brazil, after being
3-0 down. The Taeguk Warriors' fans packing the stands went
wild.
• Bartosz Bialkowski's
last-gasp heroics against the South Koreans. The Polish keeper had
to be at full stretch to stop a header from Lee Sang Ho that looked
destined for the back of his net.
The numbers game
Twenty goals were scored in the group, making an
average of 3.33 per game - by far the highest total of the first
round. The Americans topped the scoring rankings with nine goals,
six of them coming against Poland. Also of note was the total of 48
shots on goal, 21 of them from Korea Republic, who unfortunately
proved themselves to be masters of the missed chance.
The final word
Michal Globisz, Poland head coach: "Football
is not like figure skating, you don't get points for style. We
played to our strengths against the Koreans and adapted our game to
counter theirs. In the end it's the result that
counts."
